1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to storage and transporting facilities. More particularly, the invention comprises a submersible apparatus for transporting compressed gas that provides a way of transporting natural gas in a high pressure state. Compressed natural gas is stored within long sections of pipe coiled on spools within a tank. The axis of each spool is configured horizontally and interconnected with numerous additional spools to produce a cylindrical pressure containing transportation device.
In general, a first field of use of the disclosed invention is by ship cargo transporting companies as the most likely benefactors of the unique advantages of the instant invention. However, many other fields, such as truck, air freight and railroad companies, could find potentially beneficial uses of this invention.
Thus, it can be seen that the potential fields of use for this invention are myriad and the particular preferred embodiments described herein is in no way meant to limit the use of the invention to the particular field chosen for exposition of the details of the invention.
A comprehensive listing of all the possible fields to which this invention may be applied is limited only by the imagination and is, therefore, not provided herein. Some of the more obvious applications are mentioned in the interest of providing a full and complete disclosure of the unique properties of this previously unknown general purpose article of manufacture. It is to be understood from the outset that the scope of this invention is not limited to these fields or to the specific examples of potential uses presented herein.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Natural gas is currently transported long distances as liquefied natural gas across the ocean. Gas is also transported along offshore pipelines, however, there exist limits on the distance pipelines are practical. The capital costs make the liquefied natural gas system impractical for many of the worlds gas fields. The green house gas emissions associated with the liquefied natural gas process make the liquefied natural gas less appealing environmentally. Transporting natural gas at high pressure and ambient temperature (compressed natural gas), on a ship based or barge based system is practical and most likely to find application in the short to medium distance shuttle application.
The challenge with a ship based compressed natural gas design will be capital cost and safety concerns associated with fire and explosions. The capital cost of a ship-based system is approximately fifty percent compressed natural gas containers and fifty percent ship. In other words, the ship doubles the cost of the compressed natural gas system. Concerns with respect to fire and explosions can greatly be mitigated with proper designs, elimination of explosive environment, and over pressure protection etc. The risk to ship personnel from a catastrophic event can never be totally eliminated.
Attempts have been made in the prior art to devise storage and transporting facilities. Several different prior patents are discussed having U.S. Pat. No. 1,201,051, issued to Jack on Oct. 10, 1916; U.S. Pat. No. 2,383,840, issued to Benckert on Aug. 28, 1945; U.S. Pat. No. 3,208,449, issued to Bartlett, Jr. on Sep. 28, 1965; U.S. Pat. No. 3,258,068 issued to Hollister on Jun. 28, 1966; U.S. Pat. No. 3,270,905, issued to Kroekel on Sep. 6, 1966; U.S. Pat. No. 3,435,793, issued to Shurtleff on Apr. 1, 1969; U.S. Pat. No. 3,741,264, issued to Kinoshita on Jun. 26, 1973; U.S. Pat. No. 4,307,679, issued to Goldsberry et al. On Dec. 29, 1981; U.S. Pat. No. 5,235,928, issued to Shank, Jr. on Aug. 17, 1993; U.S. Pat. No. 5,327,469, issued to Georgii on Jul. 5, 1994; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,839,383, issued to Stenning et al. On Nov. 24, 1998.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,201,051 to Jack discloses a submersible storage tank. The tank for the storage of oil, is adapted to be floated or submerged at will. The tank when submerged is under a balanced pressure both within and without.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,383,840 to Benckert discloses and under water fuel storage system. It is a fuel supply system which can be located underwater and easily concealed from observation from land or air.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,208,449 to Bartlett, Jr. discloses a compact walk-around rebreathing device. It is a respiratory apparatus being a compact self-contained breathing device having an air regeneration feature for minimizing the amount of oxygen supplied from an external storage element, as well as being useful in any contaminated atmosphere.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,258,068 to Hollister discloses a shell and tube heat exchanger. It is an apparatus by which a heat exchanger of the shell and tube type can be constructed taking advantage of the hemispherical shape design and strength offered thereby.
U.S. Pat No. 3,270,905 to Kroekel discloses a pressure container. It is a novel light weight sheet metal pressure container especially useful for the storage and transmission of fluids at pressure of several thousands of pounds per square inch.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,435,793 to Shurtleff discloses portable submarine tanks. Each tank maybe used for both storage and transportation, being formed of a flexible material, such that it may be collapsed and transported even by air to a selected location.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,741,264 to Kinoshita discloses a floating structure for unloading liquid cargo. It is equipped in its inside with a pump to allow unloading of cargo oil from a tanker even if no cargo oil pump is provided in the ship.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,307,679 to Goldsberry et al. discloses a submergible barge retrievable storage and permanent disposal system for radioactive waste. It involves placing the radioactive waste within a package, placing the package in a storage tube, sealing and cooling the tube within a barge, and subsequently floating the barge to a disposal site where it is submerged to the bottom surface.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,235,928 to Shank, Jr. discloses a towed submergible, collapsible, steerable tank. It is a towed fuel tank that is submergible, collapsible and steerable, so as to extend a ship's range.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,327,469 to Georgii discloses an arrangement for the storage of environmentally hazardous waste. The inventive offshore storage facility enables any leakages that may occur to be monitored and remedied much more easily than is the case with known facilities.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,839,383 to Stenning et al. discloses a ship based gas transport system. It is a gas storage system, particularly adapted for transportation of large quantities of compressed gas on board ship. It includes a large storage volume provided by coils of substantially continuous pipe.
The present invention is completely different than all of these prior art patents in that it consists of an apparatus for transporting natural gas on a high pressure state or compressed natural gas within long sections of pipe coiled on spools within a tank. The axis of each spool is configured horizontally and interconnected with numerous additional spools to produce a cylindrical pressure containing transportation device.
None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed.